Dear Theophilus:: December 2003

I'm Back: What The Heck Happened This Past Year In Chi.na

Upon returning to Emmanuel Church after two years of teaching English in Ch.ina, several people have said to me as I introduce myself, "Yeah, I know who you are" - a somewhat disconcerting response considering how seldom I sent updates over the past two years. For this reason, I am grateful for the opportunity to share some of the ways God has been working on the university campus in C.hina.

Before going on, however, let me make a disclaimer: what is true for my location may not even be remotely similar to other parts of Ch.ina. Being the vast country that it is, and depending heavily on the government at the local level, Chin.a's landscape, both physically and spiritually, varies widely from place to place.

For the past two years, I taught English at the Univ.ersi.ty of Scie.ce and Te.chnolo.gy of Chi.na (U.STC), located in He.fei, C.hina (see star on map). The exact name and location are not so significant. What is significant, however, is that discipleship and evangelism are both strong -and that they are being done by Chinese nationals, without the aid of foreign workers! For example, several of the students with whom I met were regularly and actively sharing their faith with their classmates, and even participating in evangelism training programs and evangelizing to strangers on campus. A couple that I knew was going through training to eventually become leaders of a house church. They were also heavily involved in evangelism. One specific event I remember was a Christmas celebration that the house church organized where the true meaning of Christmas was shared. I am very glad to be able to report that foreign missionaries are not needed in H.efe.i!

So why was I there? Although foreign missionaries are not crucial to God's work in Hefei, there were several important things that I was able to do this past year. First, I served as a bridge, connecting isolated Christians to house churches. On two separate occasions this past year, students introduced themselves as Christians to me after I taught the song "Amazing Grace" in class. They eagerly desired to have fellowship with other Christians but were unaware of existing churches. Foreign teachers, as Christian witnesses who are very visible on university campuses, can serve as valuable sources of information for Christians separated from the flock. Second, I brought together believers and unbelievers in a place where they could safely talk about Jesus Christ. This happened with two students in my class who wanted to discuss spiritual matters but felt awkward doing so in the dorms. The Christian student brought his friend to my apartment, and I went through a series of six basic lessons about the Christian faith with both of them. The unbeliever came to faith in Jesus, and by the time I left China, was attending the house church and growing in his faith.

One final purpose that I served this past year - which also was perhaps the biggest difference between my first and second years - was mentoring younger, less experienced foreign teachers in matters ranging from cultural adjustment to teaching to ministry (and many others as well!). In particular, during spring semester, I worked closely with my teammate, Ted (see picture), whom I got along with extremely well. Although confident, he had a very teachable attitude. It was a joy to model for him what it meant to live and minister in China. Ted is now back in Ch.ina, enjoying teaching immensely and ministering well among students.

This past year, while God did great things, of which I have mentioned just a few, there were also difficulties. One particular frustration was discerning the motivation of students who wanted to study the Bible and become Christians. Did they really have a genuine interest in Jesus, or did they simply want to practice their English with their foreign English teacher? (The Bible studies that I conducted with students were done in English). Another related difficulty was the language barrier itself. Especially when helping students grow in their faith, I found myself wishing that I could teach in Chinese. After all, God can be difficult enough to understand in one's native language, let alone a foreign one! Finally, it was a challenge to help students understand the true nature of the gospel, that it is not simply a matter of agreeing that Jesus is Savior, but submitting to Him as Lord. Particularly relevant to this issue was the decision to join a fellowship. How students approached this decision was a clear divider between those who understood the Lordship of Christ and those who did not.

Despite the difficulties, God still is using English teaching as an effective means of bringing the good news to areas, which would otherwise be closed to foreign missionaries. If any of you are interested in learning more about the possibility of teaching English overseas, I would be more than happy to talk to you about it.

Although much more could be written about Ch.ina, let me give a brief update about what I am doing now that I am back in Philadelphia. I currently have an interest in Bible translation and have taken some concrete steps toward that end. I have started taking classes at Westminster Seminary to get a strong foundation in the Biblical languages, theology, and exegesis. This summer, I plan on beginning an MA in applied linguistics. How well I fare will help me discern whether I am gifted in this highly specialized area.